It was less than a year ago when Accuride International, a global leader in movement solutions, launched Senseon Secure Access, a commercial-grade, invisible, electronic system that transforms how commercial establishments both protect and manage access to contents in cabinets. Senseon also enables valuables to be secured effectively and attractively in custom homes.
Accuride CEO Scott Jordan says that Senseon is the smart successor to the traditional lock and key for cabinetry in high-end and consumer electronics stores and other commercial environments, adding that the solution frees users from inefficiencies, high maintenance costs, design constraints and esthetic limitations and sets a new standard for cabinet-level access control.
This keyless, cabinet-level, electronic secure access locking system uses RFID to provide greater security and efficiency while enhancing the customer experience for increased sales. Cabinet designers and manufacturers and commercial establishments no longer have to contend with unwieldy and often unreliable locks and keys.
Steve Lasky, editorial director for Locksmith Ledger International, recently talked with Greg Rewers, Solutions Marketing Director for Senseon Secure Access, a business segment of Accuride International. Here is that interview.
Lasky: Tell us about the technology and how it differs from conventional cabinet and drawer locks on the market.
Rewers: Great question. For over 50 years, Accuride International has been working with cabinets from the inside out, engineering a variety of movement solutions. We designed this system with end users in mind, considering how it can make their work more efficient. Part of how we’ve been so successful over the years is by always pushing the boundaries of technology. When we saw a need for a reliable electronic lock, we decided to use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to develop the Senseon Secure Access electronic locking system.
Senseon offers the first smart lock of its kind. With a wave or tap of an RFID-enabled card, fob or wristband over a hidden reader, your cabinet is open. Using Accuride movement solutions, Senseon is built to last.
Additionally, Senseon locks are up to 400 percent stronger than conventional keyed locks. This makes it nearly impervious to theft. Not only does Senseon provide access control; it also incorporates cabinet functionality. With integrated touch-release, easy-close and auto-open features, designers have options when choosing their Senseon locking system.
Lasky: Obviously design and aesthetics is a big consideration when installing any locking device in a high-end retail environment. How does this product provide a viable solution?
Rewers: Senseon addresses the two-pronged dilemma of effectively displaying merchandise and securing merchandise by providing a safe, aesthetically-pleasing locking solution. The components are hidden within the cabinet, removing the need for keyholes on the front of the cabinet. This keeps the attention on the merchandise and not the lock.
Convenience is another factor we considered when designing this system. Usually, the sales staff has to retreat to the back of the store to retrieve merchandise. We’ve made it so that doesn’t have to happen. Senseon expands your storage options and closes the sales gap.
We were recently chosen for the 2017 Award of Excellence in the category of Retail Technology Solutions, presented by the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). Competition juror Brian Thornton stated: “There are no unattractive locks! The reduction of mundane hardware is a very elegant solution to an age-old problem and it elevates the purchasing experience.”
Seamlessly integrating into virtually any cabinet, Senseon doesn’t require you to compromise your design. Additionally, with no visible hardware, it is difficult for would-be shoplifters to know where to break in, making this a great loss prevention tool.
Retailers also appreciate Senseon’s automatic-relock feature. Retail salespeople often get sidetracked while helping a customer, forgetting to relock a cabinet drawer or door. This can leave valuable merchandise, unprotected and vulnerable to theft.
Lasky: Several RFID solutions on the market target the retail vertical, so what are the key differentiators for Senseon that would convince a user to choose this product?
Rewers: Senseon gives designers more flexibility to create beautiful, functional cabinets with no exposed hardware. You also get a solutions partner. Our team works with you from start to finish, to ensure you get the right Senseon system to fit your cabinet needs.
For over 50 years, Accuride has worked with customers from all over the world to create custom long-lasting solutions for everything from appliances to retail display cases. Senseon is no different; whatever the application need, we will work to find the best solution possible.
As far as features go, when retailers look for locking solutions, they want something secure, and Senseon brings that. Coming in up to 400 percent stronger than the conventional lock, Senseon locks do just that. These locks are designed to be strong enough to resist potential theft.
Retailers are also concerned about reliability and ease of use. Senseon offers both. All Senseon locks – both the integrated slide locks and stand-alone electronic locks – are designed, tested and patented. The slides from Accuride undergo rigorous testing to ensure they can withstand the demands of commercial environments.
Keeping the end user in mind, we made it easier to add and remove users as necessary. If a key is lost, you don’t need to get a new system. Just a few taps of an administrator card or fob, and that key is removed.
Lasky: Are there other vertical markets that this product can be used and if so, discuss some of those use-case scenarios.
Rewers: Yes, there are a quite a few applications outside of retail for which our locks are ideal. Take a hospital, for example. A hospital staff has to store sensitive materials, such as medications, patient records and equipment. Senseon ensures that these items are secure. In a healthcare environment, medications falling into the wrong hands could have dire consequences.
Another use case would be in a hotel room to secure a guest’s valuables. A lot of times, people forgot to relock the in-room safe, leaving valuable items vulnerable to theft. With Senseon’s auto-relocking feature, all a guest would need to do is close the safe when done using it.
Yet another example comes from Jerry Wilson, president of Bespoke Design, who used Senseon in designing a custom closet. Jerry needed commercial-strength security to protect the homeowners’ jewelry collections but he wanted to avoid using keyholes in the cabinet design that could alert potential thieves to the location of valuable items.
To put it plainly, anywhere there is a cabinet lock, Senseon can be used.
Lasky: How do you see the locksmith community adding this product into their line and what advice would you have for any locksmith who is interested in carrying the solution?
Rewers: While Senseon is not a traditional lock, locksmiths everywhere can use this electronic locking system to introduce an efficient locking solution to their product line.
Senseon doesn’t require any electrical or wiring knowledge. There are no keys to be made and no need to rekey if a key is lost. Once Senseon is installed, all you have to do is plug it in and add the key cards and it’s ready to use.
For more information, visit www.senseonsecure.com.
